SKIN CARE DEVICE

Abstract

A vibrating skin care device comprises a handle, an elongate damper, a vibrating drive and a vibrating head with the vibrating head being connected to the vibrating drive via a friction fit, conical connection. The device may be used to exfoliate skin and/or reduce skin blemishes.

Claims

1-14. canceled

15. A vibrating skin care device comprising: a handle, an elongate damper, a vibrating drive and a vibrating head; wherein the skin care device has a longitudinal axis along which each of the handle, the elongate damper, the vibrating drive and the vibrating head are arranged; wherein the handle and the vibrating drive are connected to each other through the damper; wherein the handle is connected to the damper via a handle/damper connection; wherein the vibrating drive comprises a motor which drives a spindle on which an eccentric weight is arranged; wherein the vibrating drive is connected to the damper via a damper/drive connection; wherein the damper/drive connection is spaced from the handle/damper connection along the longitudinal axis; wherein the vibrating drive is connected to the vibrating head by a drive/head connection; wherein the vibrating head comprises a skin care surface comprising abrasive particles adapted, in use, to be held against a person's skin; and wherein the drive/head connection is a tapered connection.

16. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein the drive/head connection is a friction fit conical connection.

17. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein the skin care surface is provided by a mass of moulded abrasive particles held together by an organic resin.

18. The vibrating skin care device of claim 17, wherein the skin care surface is provided on an abrasive insert, the abrasive insert being secured to a vibrating head housing, and the vibrating head housing having a conical connection portion which cooperates with a conical connection portion of the head connector of the vibrating drive to releasably connect the vibrating drive and the vibrating head to each other.

19. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein the skin care device is provided with a plurality of vibrating heads having abrasive inserts which are different from each other, each of which has an abrasive skin care surface selected from an abrasive skin care surface having a different shape, an abrasive skin care surface having a different distributions of particle sizes, and combinations thereof.

20. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein the skin care surface is selected from: a) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 60% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥150 μm and ≤280 μm; b) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which 180 μm and 250 μm; c) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which 180 μm and 250 μm and wherein the skin care surface is substantially hemi-spherical; d) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 60% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥30 μm and ≤90 μm; e) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥45 μm and ≤75 μm; f) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is 45 μm and 75 μm and wherein the skin care surface is substantially planar.

21. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein, in use, the skin care surface vibrates at a frequency which is selected from: a) a frequency which is ≥50 Hz and ≤100 Hz; and b) a frequency which is ≥60 Hz and ≤85 Hz.

22. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein, the motor is adapted to rotate at a speed within the range 8000 to 12000 rpm when unloaded; and the eccentric weight has a mass in the range 5 to 7 g and is arranged with an eccentricity with respect to the axis of the motor within the range 1 to 4 mm.

23. The vibrating skin care device of claim 15, wherein the skin care surface is secured to the vibrating drive via a connection which allows manual, tool free detachment and reattachment of the skin care surface to the vibrating drive.

24. A method of cosmetically treating skin comprising contacting the skin the vibrating skin care surface of the vibrating skin care device of claim 15.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method exfoliates the skin by microdermabrasion.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the method reduces skin blemishes.

27. A vibrating skin care device comprising: a handle, an elongate damper, a vibrating drive and a skin care surface comprising abrasive particles adapted, in use, to be held against a person's skin; wherein the skin care device has a longitudinal axis along which each of the handle, the elongate damper and the vibrating drive are arranged; wherein the handle and the vibrating drive are connected to each other through the damper; wherein the handle is connected to the damper via a handle/damper connection; wherein the vibrating drive comprises a motor which drives a spindle on which an eccentric weight is arranged; wherein the vibrating drive is connected to the damper via a damper/drive connection; wherein the damper/drive connection is spaced from the handle/damper connection along the longitudinal axis; and wherein the skin care surface is secured to the vibrating drive via a connection which allows manual, tool free detachment and reattachment of the skin care surface to the vibrating drive.

28. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein the drive/head connection is a friction fit conical connection.

29. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein the skin care surface is provided by a mass of moulded abrasive particles held together by an organic resin.

30. The vibrating skin care device of claim 29, wherein the skin care surface is provided on an abrasive insert, the abrasive insert being secured to a vibrating head housing, and the vibrating head housing having a conical connection portion which cooperates with a conical connection portion of the head connector of the vibrating drive to releasably connect the vibrating drive and the vibrating head to each other.

31. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein the skin care device is provided with a plurality of vibrating heads having abrasive inserts which are different from each other, each of which has an abrasive skin care surface selected from an abrasive skin care surface having a different shape, an abrasive skin care surface having a different distributions of particle sizes, and combinations thereof.

32. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein the skin care surface is selected from : a) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 60% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥150 μm and ≤280 μm;, b) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which ≥180 μm and ≤250 μm; c) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which ≥180 μm and ≤250 μm and wherein the skin care surface is substantially hemi-spherical; d) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 60% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥30 μm and ≤90 μm; e) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥45 μm and ≤75 μm; f) a skin care surface which comprises abrasive particles having a size distribution such that at least 80% of the particles by mass have a diameter which is ≥45 μm and ≤75 μm and wherein the skin care surface is substantially planar.

33. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein, in use, the skin care surface vibrates at a frequency which is selected from: a) a frequency which is ≥50 Hz and ≤100 Hz; and b) a frequency which is ≥60 Hz and ≤85 Hz.

34. The vibrating skin care device of claim 27, wherein, the motor is adapted to rotate at a speed within the range 8000 to 12000 rpm when unloaded; and the eccentric weight has a mass in the range 5 to 7 g and is arranged with an eccentricity with respect to the axis of the motor within the range 1 to 4 mm.

Description

[0052] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing of which:

[0053] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a skin care device;

[0054] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an abrasive insert;

[0055] FIG. 3 is a top view of the skin care device;

[0056] FIG. 4 is a side view of the skin care device;

[0057] FIG. 5 is front view of an alternative abrasive insert; and

[0058] FIG. 6 is side view of the abrasive insert of FIG. 5.

[0059] The vibrating skin care device 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 comprises a handle 11, an elongate damper 12, a vibrating drive 13 and a vibrating head 14, each arranged along a longitudinal axis 15 of the device 10.

[0060] The handle 11 comprises an upper handle housing 11a and a lower handle housing 11b which house a battery 16, a circuit board 17, an on-off switch 18 and an LED indicator 19. The on-off switch 18 is actionable by a user via a user switch 20 which projects through an opening in the upper housing handle 11a. Electrical wires (not shown) pass through a central, damper orifice 21 from the battery 16 to a motor 22 of the vibrating drive 13 to cause the motor 22 to rotate its spindle to which an eccentric mass 23 is attached. This rotation, controlled by the on-off switch 18 and circuit board 17, causes the vibrating drive 13 to vibrate. Preferably the battery 16 is rechargeable; in this case, a connection for recharging the battery, for example a USB connection 24, is provided, for example in a rear face 11c of the handle. Preferably, the device is configured, for example by means of the on/off switch 18 and/or the circuit board 17, to allow the user to select between vibrational frequencies, for example, between a maximum vibrational frequency, 80% of the maximum vibrational frequency and 75% of the maximum vibrational frequency.

[0061] The handle 11 is clamped to one end of the elongate damper 12 by a handle/damper clamp of which a lower portion 25 is provided as part of the lower handle housing 11b and an upper portion (not shown) is provided as part of the upper handle housing 11a. The vibrating drive 13 is clamped to the other end of the elongate damper 12 by a drive/damper clamp 26 provided by assembly of upper 27 and lower 28 portions of a drive housing 29. The motor 22 is clamped within the drive housing 29 so that rotation of the motor 22 and its eccentric mass 23 cause vibration of the vibrating drive 13. Upper 30 and lower 31 front projections of the handle 11 project over the damper 12 and over a rear portion of the vibrating drive 13 with sufficient clearance being provided to allow the vibrating drive to vibrate within the space defined by the front handle projections 30, 31 without contacting the front handle projections 30, 31.

[0062] A front portion of the vibrating drive 13 is provided with a conical drive/head connection 32. This allows connection of the vibrating head 14 to the vibrating drive 13 via a cooperating tapered connection (not shown) of the vibrating head 14.

[0063] The vibrating head 14 comprises an abrasive insert 33. The abrasive insert is preferably permanently fixed to the vibrating head 14, for example using an adhesive, for example an enamel adhesive.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 2, the abrasive insert 33 of FIG. 1 has a substantially hemi-spherical skin care surface 34 which, when the device is vibrating and in use, is held against a person's skin, for example to remove rough skin and/or exfoliate the skin. This abrasive insert is made of relatively large particles of corundum, for example having a particle size between 180 μm and 250 μm.

[0065] The handle 11 and the vibrating drive 13 are connected to each other through the damper 12 with the damper/drive connection 26 being spaced from the handle/damper connection 25 along the longitudinal axis 12.

[0066] As can be seen in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the axis 15 of the skin care device 10 has a gentle curve when seen in a side view. This is a preferred arrangement which contributes to comfort and precision when holding and using the device. FIG. 4 shows the devise without the vibrating head 14 to illustrate the drive/head connection 32.

[0067] An alternative abrasive insert 35 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This has a substantially planar skin care surface 36. The periphery 37 of this abrasive insert 24 is elliptical; alternatively, the periphery may be circular. A chamfered edge 38 is provided between the skin care surface 36 and the periphery. This abrasive insert is made of relatively small particles of corundum, for example having a particle size between 45 μm and 75 μm.

[0068] Reference numbers used in the figures: [0069] 10 skin care device [0070] 11 handle [0071] 11a upper handle housing [0072] 11b lower handle housing [0073] 11c rear face of handle [0074] 12 damper [0075] 13 vibrating drive [0076] 14 vibrating head [0077] 15 longitudinal axis [0078] 16 battery [0079] 17 circuit board [0080] 18 on-off switch; [0081] 19 LED indicator [0082] 20 user switch [0083] 21 central damper orifice [0084] 22 motor [0085] 23 eccentric mass [0086] 24 USB connector [0087] 25 handle/damper clamp [0088] 26 drive/damper clamp [0089] 27 upper portion of drive housing [0090] 28 lower portion of drive housing [0091] 29 drive housing [0092] 30 upper front projection of the handle [0093] 31 lower front projection of the handle [0094] 32 drive/head connection [0095] 33 abrasive insert [0096] 34 hemi-spherical skin care surface [0097] 35 alternative abrasive insert [0098] 36 planar skin care surface [0099] 37 periphery of abrasive insert [0100] 38 chamfered edge